Life and work John Peter Russell

john peter russell: vincent van gogh, 1886, van gogh museum, amsterdam

russell had met vincent van gogh in paris , formed friendship him. van gogh spoke highly of russell s work, , after first summer in arles in 1888 sent twelve drawings of paintings russell, inform him progress of work. claude monet worked russell @ belle Île , influenced style, though has been said monet preferred of russell s belle Île seascapes own. due substantial private income russell did not attempt make pictures known.

in 1897 , 1898 henri matisse visited belle Île. russell introduced him impressionism , work of van gogh (who relatively unknown @ time). matisse s style changed radically, , later russell teacher, , russell explained colour theory me.

russell s daughter, madame jeanne jouve, known in paris singer, has stated had built collection of impressionist works – van gogh, gauguin, bernard, guillaumin – intended give australia, none known have survived beyond death. in 1907, marianna russell died in paris. grief-stricken, russell buried next home , destroyed 400 of oils , watercolours. auguste rodin despaired @ destruction of marvels , , in 1 of final letters russell, said works live, certain. 1 day placed on same level our friends monet, renoir, , van gogh. russell returned sydney, later suffered heart attack , died in 1930.

thea proctor, cousin of russell prominent in sydney art , society circles, did promote work in later years.

russell friend of auguste rodin , emmanuel frémiet, , wife s beauty immortalised in rodin s minerve sans casque , fremiet s joan of arc. 5 of russell s sons served in france during world war i. portrait of van gogh, painted 1886-87, acquired van gogh museum, @ amsterdam in 1938. sheet of portrait drawings of van gogh @ art gallery of new south wales. 2 water-colours , small oil painting in national gallery of victoria in melbourne, , there drawing in adelaide collection.

he lifelong friend of tom roberts, 1 of main figures of australian heidelberg school of impressionism. russell not directly involved in movement, giving him title australia s lost impressionist .